Help Solomon Continue Undergrad at SF Conservatory
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Aloha and welcome!
Please note: you may need to click “more” or “read more” in order to enjoy all four videos and Solomon’s narrative!
On a leap of faith, Solomon is off to SFCM for a first year of undergraduate studies with the hope of being able to sustain the long term expense…
What follows are 4 videos and a detailed narrative. Please avoid sharing this fundraiser on social media platforms unless invited to do so.
Below are links to August 2022 recordings of Solomon singing, accompanied on piano by his beloved teacher, Val Underwood. Enjoy a sampling of the talent that has earned Solomon this educational opportunity!
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Solomon’s Story:
Aloha, I am Solomon Kenneth Shumate!
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music has accepted me into its undergraduate music school as a baritone vocalist with a full-tuition scholarship for all four years. Sadly, the out-of-pocket expense over the years will add to a financial hardship far beyond what my family and I can afford, mainly due to the unusually high cost of student housing in SF. Please support me in realizing this dream of an educational opportunity. This once-in-a-lifetime chance includes having a grammy award-winning baritone singer as my private voice teacher!
You may not know, but my first stage performance was at age 9, playing Reuben in a university production of Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Since then, I've been on stage many other times in plays, musicals, duets, and solo performances. My musical journey harkens back to bathtime at 18 months old, when my mother noticed my pitch-perfect mimicking of Baby Einstein and other children's program tunes. In my early elementary public school years, I observed the school's Hawaiian cultural practitioner playing the ipu while demonstrating ancient kahiko chants for the class, which I would reproduce at home using a hand drum. I later attended a Waldorf school from age 9 to 14, enjoying singing, instrument play, and theatre.
My formal classical training began after I first met my private voice teacher (of the past five years), Val Underwood, in a small group class at the Kahilu Theatre; which my parents had to convince me to join. I later had my first individual vocal lesson with Val at 14, after which he immediately called my father to explain his belief that I had a rare talent and that he (as one of the festival’s founders) wanted to recommend me for a full scholarship as a young singer at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival that summer. I did participate and perform, learning from the amazing team of professionals at the festival that year and each year since. Weekly vocal training with Val, other experiences in acting and dance, and even an internship doing behind the scenes (stage crew) work did follow sooner or later, with many thanks to not only HPAF and my private voice teacher, but also to the knowledgeable professionals of the Kahilu Youth Troupe, PDI, and the Kahilu Theatre ‘Ohana in general.
In addition to these experiences, I was fortunate to be able to enjoy a career at a unique, small high school (though pandemic-hampered) attending Kanu ‘O Ka ‘Āina, a Hawaiian-focused charter school in Waimea on Hawaii Island. In addition to earning a near 3.9 GPA, I've memorized meaningful chants, learned hula, and, clothed in traditional attire, participated in ancient Hawaiian ceremonies held on sacred ground. Our school's overarching vision statement for students to live by is kūlia i ka nu‘u, an ancient Hawaiian proverb that translates, “strive to reach your highest potential." I believe SFCM is my next step in reaching my highest potential. High school and prior experiences deepened my character and cemented my desire to give back to my community in Hawaii, hopefully through an abundance of musical knowledge and skill. I am anxious and eager for the twists and turns, the lessons I will learn, and the people and places I'll experience along the way. With the help of others, I hope to be as big a part of SFCM as it will be of me, and see where it all leads!
Mahalo nui to all for your love and support!
Organizer
Michael Shumate
Organizer
Honokaa, HI